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Preventive vs Balm - What's the difference?

preventive | balm | Related terms |

Preventive is a related term of balm.


As an adjective preventive

is .

As a noun balm is

any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus commiphora'' of africa, arabia and india and ''myroxylon of south america.

As a verb balm is

(archaic) to anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal.

preventive

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Preventing, hindering, or acting as an obstacle to.
  • Carried out to deter military aggression.
  • Slowing the development of an illness; prophylactic.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
    • Physic is either curative or preventive .
  • (obsolete) Going before; preceding.
  • * Cudworth
    • Any previous counsel or preventive understanding.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dated) A thing that prevents, hinders, or acts as an obstacle to.
  • * 1856 , Henry William Herbert, The Complete Manual for Young Sportsmen
    • Dogs should be warmly but airily housed; heartily, but not heatingly, fed — old Indian meal, mixed with oatmeal, suppawn, is the best general food, with a small quantity of salt, which is a preventive against worms
  • (nonstandard) A thing that slows the development of an illness.
  • A contraceptive, especially a condom.

    • Alternative forms

    * preventative

    Usage notes

    * Many speakers prefer to use preventive'' in adjective senses and ''preventative in noun senses.[http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/nonerrors.html
  • preventive]
    • ----

    balm

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora'' of Africa, Arabia and India and ''Myroxylon of South America.
  • A plant or tree yielding such substance.
  • Any soothing oil or lotion, especially an aromatic one.
    • There is a balm in Gilead.... (Spiritual)
  • (figuratively) Something soothing.
    • Classical music is a sweet balm for our sorrows.
  • Any of various aromatic plants of the genus Melissa , such as lemon balm () or bee balm.

    • Synonyms

    * (aromatic resin) balsam * (plant or tree) balsam * (soothing oil or lotion) balsam * (something soothing) balsam

    Related terms

    * balmy * balsam * embalming

    See also

    * lotion * ointment * unguent

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (archaic) To anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal.
  • (figurative) To soothe; to mitigate.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Anagrams

    * *